An iconic castle in Brouilly appellation, which range expresses
the richness, diversity and uniqueness of this terroir through parcel selection.
BROUILLY 2018
RÉSERVE DU CHÂTEAU

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The vineyards of the Beaujolais region are very hilly. They are delimited on one side by the foothills of France’s Massif Central mountain range and overlook the Saône River’s floodplain between Mâcon and Lyon. Nestled at the foot of Mont Brouilly, Château de Pierreux is one of the most beautiful residences in the Beaujolais region.

Several centuries of history have shaped this ancient 13th-century fortified house of which two towers still stand today. The castle was renovated several times over the centuries. Its vaulted cellars date back to the 17th century while the current building was erected in the 19th century.

Château de Pierreux’s 110 hectares of vines are planted in shallow, well-drained pink granitic, schistous, and siliceous soils which contain deposits of blue porphyry from the volcanic eruptions of Mont Brouilly that date back millions of years.

The estate was certified High Environmental Value (HVE) in 2020.

Planting density: 6,000 to 10,000 vines/ha
Age of the vines: 42% of the plots are over 40 years old.
Pruning: gobelet & Cordon

Work philosophy: Growing methods are decided upon vineyard by vineyard according to lutte raisonnée, an environmentally friendly approach. Everything is analysed in detail: risk of disease, the number of harmful and beneficial insects that can be found in each vineyard, the size and number of bunches of grapes per vine, problems with weeds, the health of the vines’ leaves, etc.

Working of the soil: de-earthing, scraping, hoeing between the vines.

This philosophy has 3 objectives:

100% Gamay

With a beautiful intense blueberry color, this Brouilly opens with jammy notes, dominated by black fruits (blackberries, blackcurrants and blueberries). The palate is very dense and concentrated with notes of caramel and black fruits. The tannins present, are melted and silky. We also find the mineral touch that characterizes the wines of Pierreux.

A slight sorting had to be done, on receipt of vintage to perfect the cuvée and sublimate its quality. The grapes are destemmed to 100% and then vinified in concrete vats. We applied a slow fermentation between 22 and 28°C with 2 pumpings per day and a maceration of 12 to 15 days, with 2 to 4 loads at the end of maceration.
The oak barrels of 50hL lasted 8 months to develop the structure, smooth the tannins and allow micro oxygenation.
Bottling in June 2019.

Its concentration and its elegance will allow us to taste it young, but it is a wine that will be able to watch without problem (2 to 10 years see more).

January was mild, but February and March were cold. Then came April, which was hot, dry, and fairly sunny; and May, which was rainy with normal levels of sunshine. June was hot and stormy, but the vines remained miraculously healthy. Summer was very hot and dry. Despite the drought and high temperatures, the vines withstood the weather very well.
Harvesting at the Château took place from 3 to 21 September.
The 2018 vintage is already being described as incredible and aromatic, dominated by notes of black berries and raspberry, with a touch of spice, and remarkable structure and balance.